KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts
KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond
We’ve all heard of the 2013 fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas–a tragedy that shook a city and garnered national attention. But the worst industrial disaster in history–also in Texas–claimed untold hundreds of lives, and is almost forgotten. Veteran journalist and author Bill Minutaglio takes us on a trip back in time, to the post war explosion in Texas City: the lessons unlearned -and why America wanted to forget.
May 15, 2025
Central Texas art studio centers artists with disabilities
A bill would make it possible for criminal offenders as young as 15 to be sent to state prisons for adults.Why hopes for a big increase in per-student funding for Texas public schools may have slipped away for this legislative session.Also at the Capitol: The loud bang of a wooden mallet is supposed to keep […]
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May 14, 2025
An Austin book club has been reading the same novel for more than a decade
Texas gets a lot of flack for its culture wars – but some note a change at the Capitol this legislative session.More than a year after the state took over Shelby Park in Eagle Pass during the peak of illegal border crossings, it has now reopened to the public – and residents have bittersweet feelings.After […]
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May 13, 2025
Potentially historic heatwave settling in over much of Texas
A record-breaking heat wave will blanket big sections of the state. Is this a preview of summer?The U.S. has suspended imports of cattle from Mexico as a devastating pest, the New World Screwworm, makes its way north, threatening livestock.The Houston City Council kicks off budget hearings this week, weighing steep cuts.The new book “Freedom Season” by Texas […]
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May 12, 2025
Houston is the fastest-sinking city in the US, study finds
Abortion pills, denial of bail, and a ban on land purchases for some people: What’s happening in the final weeks of the Texas Legislature?After jackpot controversies, multiple resignations and a ban on online lotto ticket sales, the state’s lottery system is now under investigation.Cities on the rise across Texas are quite literally sinking, with Houston […]
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May 9, 2025
Texas Renaissance Festival ordered to sell land, assets following lengthy legal battle
Texas Catholics, now almost a third of the state population, are celebrating the selection of Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff from America.Gov. Gregg Abbott has just signed into law a school voucher plan, but some Texans are continuing to push back.A judge orders the sale of the Texas Renaissance Festival, following a civil court […]
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May 8, 2025
Ranchers plead for help to fight a devastating pest on its way back to Texas
Several current and former Frio County officials have been indicted for alleged vote harvesting, part of a years-long investigation led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. One critic calls it voter suppression 101. What’s behind the charges?In the conversation over cash bail reform, what’s missing? An new investigation points to a lack of focus on […]
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May 7, 2025
How shrimp fraud is affecting coastal fishers
According to a new poll, Texans have predictable opinions along party lines about Donald Trump’s immigration policies – but it’s more complicated on the economy.Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against Austin ISD, accusing it of teaching critical race theory. It’s not the first time a Texas district has faced such charges.Shrimp […]
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May 6, 2025
What’s next as Gregg Popovich steps away from the Spurs?
State lawmakers from the House and Senate reach a deal lowering property taxes. Will it pass?It’s the ultimate company town: How Space X’s launch site in South Texas became a city.Generic and house brands are taking off as people look to save on grocery bills. But that’s not the only reason shoppers prefer them.What’s next […]
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